Conventionally, in an electronic apparatus provided with an information searching function, such as an electronic dictionary or a PDA, not only a keyboard but also a pointing device such as a touch panel, a mouse, or a pen is used as an input device.
Further, plural functions that can be executed to a character string displayed on a screen for an information search are installed beforehand. For example, some electronic apparatuses have a “jump” function in which, when a user intends to find a meaning of a specific character string in a sentence displayed on a screen, the meaning corresponding to the specific character string is searched and displayed from dictionary data installed to an electronic dictionary.
Conventionally, in order to execute the “jump” function, a specific key for executing the “jump” function is depressed to determine a function to be executed, then, a user designates a start and end position of a desired character string with a pen, and finally, the user depresses a decision (enter) key indicating the execution of the function.
Patent Document 1 describes an information processing apparatus that specifies a character string, which is a subject to be processed, from a positional relationship between the character string and a pen used for tracing the character string or a speed of the pen, when a user makes an operation of tracing the displayed character string with the pen, and reads a character operation (character decoration, etc.) to be executed by referring to a character operation table in which many functions for a character operation are set beforehand.
In an electronic dictionary, many functions that can be used by a user are prepared beforehand, such as a voice reproduction function, and a marker function for coloring a specific character string, in addition to the above-mentioned “jump” function.
In general, a type of a character string to which a corresponding function can be executed is determined beforehand for each function, so that an executable function to the character string designated by a user is restricted. For example, a character string to which the “jump” function can be executed is restricted to an English character such as an alphabet or Japanese character such as hiragana or katakana. When a symbol such as a comma or period is designated, the jump function is not executed.
A character string including an English word to which the voice reproduction function can be executed is restricted to a single English word including alphabet. When the other character string (e.g., a character string including hiragana) is designated, the voice reproduction function is not executed.
When a function is selected first, and then, a character to which this function is executed is designated, an operation of designating a start position of the character string, an operation of selecting a range of the character string, and an operation of depressing a function execution key are generally made in a designated order so as to execute the function to all character strings within the selected range.
If the function is always executed to all selected character strings, regardless of whether a character type to which a certain function cannot be executed is included or not, a result that is not expected by the user might be produced through the execution of the function.
When many operations to a certain character string and many functions executed by the operations are determined as in the Patent Document 1, the user has to know to some degree which process is executed by which operation, which increases a burden of the user for the operation.
When there are a great number of functions to be executed, it is difficult to know a character type to which a function can be executed for each function. Further, it is troublesome that a character type to which a function can be executed is checked by a manual in each case, and this process increases an operation burden of the user.
It is supposed that the user erroneously selects a character string including many character types such as alphabet, hiragana, or symbol. In this case, the character string includes the character type to which a function intended by the user cannot be executed, so that the function might not be executed. A user who is not used to an information processing apparatus cannot understand why the function cannot be executed, and he/she has to select again a character string.
Specifically, the user has to know, as much as possible, what is the character type of the character to which the function selected previously can be executed, as well as the user has to select a character string with care not to select a character string including a character to which a function cannot be executed, which increases an operation burden of the user.
Patent Document 2 describes an information processing apparatus in which, after a user makes an operation of designating a desired character string that the user intends to make an editing operation, the character string is highlighted, and a pop-up menu is displayed in the vicinity of the highlighted character string, separate from a fixed edition function menu, wherein the user intentionally makes an operation of selecting a desired function from many functions displayed on the pop-up menu in order to execute the function.
A computer has plural functions, and after an operation function is selected, it generally designates to which section the function is executed. For example, an electronic dictionary has a word voice reproduction function, a sentence voice reproduction function, an S jump function, or a marker function. It starts one of these functions, and a character range to which this function is to be executed is designated. Then, the selected function is executed to the character in the selected range.
The “word voice reproduction function” is a function of outputting a voice reading a single English word, including a single word of alphabet (alphabetical character). The “sentence voice reproduction function” is a function of outputting plural English words with synthesized voice, when the selected character string includes plural English words. The “S jump function” is a function of specifying the selected English word or selected Japanese (e.g., a character string including kanji, hiragana, or katakana) as a direction word, and searching information corresponding to the direction word from an English dictionary or Japanese dictionary installed to the electronic dictionary. The selected character string is not limited to an English word or Japanese, but a language other than English or Japanese can be selected, if it is a displayed character string. In this case, content information corresponding to this language is searched. The “marker function” is a function of coloring all of the selected character strings and symbols with a color different from the character display color. It may be a function of adding an underline, instead of a colored display.
Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 39, a hard key for designating an operation function is mounted to an electronic apparatus, and when the hard key is selected, a function corresponding to the key is started. For example, an electronic dictionary includes the word voice reproduction function, the sentence reading function, the S jump function, or the marker function. When a key for designating each operation function is operated, the designated function is started. Next, a character range to which the selected function is executed is designated. In the electronic dictionary, an operation of selecting a range has to be performed for a character type corresponding to the selected function. Specifically, when the operation of selecting a range is performed, a character type whose range can be selected corresponding to the started function has to be selected, i.e., a range has to be selected considering whether a word can be selected or not, whether plural continuous words can be selected or not, whether English or Japanese can be selected or not, or whether a selection having English and Japanese mixed therein is possible or not. When the selection of the range is completed as described above, the selected function is executed to the character whose range is selected. Specifically, after a function is selected, a selection of a range is executed to this function.
An electronic dictionary illustrated in FIG. 39(a) includes an S jump function button 251, an MP3 voice reproduction function button 252, a TTS sentence reading function button 253, and a marker function button 254. When the S jump function is executed, a character range “” is designated after the S jump function button 251 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 39(b). When the MP3 voice reproduction function is executed, a character range “That” is designated after the MP3 voice reproduction function button 252 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 39(c). When the TTS sentence reading function is executed, a character range “That goes” is designated after the TTS sentence reading function button 253 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 39(d). When the marker function is executed, a character range “ ” is designated after the marker function button 254 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 39(e).
As described above, an operation function and a character type to which the operation function can be executed are different for each operation function. Therefore, it is necessary to select the operation function first, and then, select a character range including a character type to which the selected operation function can be executed. This is because, since the selectable character type included in the character range is different for each operation function, the selectable character type is determined by selecting the operation function first. However, when the selected character range includes a character type to which the operation function cannot be executed, the character range has to be selected again, since the operation function is selected first. Therefore, a user has to remember the selectable character type for each operation function. If the user makes an error, the operation function cannot be executed, so that the user has to select again the character range to which the operation function can be executed. Since the operation to be started is different for each operation function, the number of the hard keys increases as illustrated in FIG. 39, which makes it difficult for the user to use.
An information processing apparatus has conventionally been designed to provide a simple operation.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information terminal apparatus provided with a touch panel, wherein a character operation can easily be made with a simple procedure. Specifically, a display device and a tablet are overlaid, and when an input is made from the tablet with a pen operation, its stroke is analyzed to analyze the positional relationship between the stroke and the displayed character. A character that is a subject to be operated is specified from the analysis result, and reads a type of the executable character operation from a table. When a same character decoration is made to the read character operation and the subject character, the character decoration is deleted from the subject character. If the same character decoration is not made, the character decoration is made to the subject character.
Patent Document 3 describes an apparatus in which a menu display is controlled according to an inputted character, wherein a function menu of a scientific electric calculator has a convenient operation specification. Specifically, combination information of each operation character used for an input equation is stored, and an operation character that has a possibility of being used for the input equation that is currently inputted is displayed on a menu as a candidate operation character based upon an operation character inputted according to an operation input by a user and usage combination information, whereby any one of the candidate operation characters displayed on the menu is selected to input the operation character.
Patent Document 2 describes an information processing apparatus provided with an integral display/input device, wherein an operation range when an operation is changed from an operation of designating a range of a character string that is a subject to be processed to an operation of selecting a processed function is reduced, and an operation amount is reduced, whereby operability is enhanced. Specifically, a part of a document displayed on the display device is designated as a range to be processed from coordinate data inputted from a coordinate input device, and a display position variable menu, which includes plural menu items for selecting a process to the designated range, is displayed in the vicinity of the designated range according to the designation of the range. When the menu item in the display position variable menu is selected, the process defined in the menu item is executed to the designated range.
Patent Document 4 describes the one in which an effective function is selected by utilizing a coordinate when a mouse button is clicked in order to prevent plural functions from being operated. Specifically, when a right button of a mouse is clicked, a control unit identifies a coordinate position of a mouse cursor at this point. When it is within an effective range of creating an external character, the display device deletes the display of an external dot at the coordinate position, and an external character editing unit deletes the corresponding dot from an external-character creating memory. When it is without the effective range of creating an external character, an external character editing menu window is displayed so as to enable a menu selection.